The Immigrants of Germany
by Kevin Ingram
Title: Washington Crossing The Delaware River
Artist: Emanuel Leutze
Title: Gabriel Manigault 1757
Artist:Jeremiah Theus
German Immigration Art During the 1600s to the 1700s, many Germans were looking for a new country to live where they could escape the wars, famines, high unemployment, and oppression that was present in Germany. Along with the continuous wars, many Germans were unhappy with their country because the government forced the catholic religion upon its citizens. Therefore one would be penalized if they practiced any other religion or if they were a protestant. As a result some German families immigrated to the colony of Pennsylvania where freedom of religion was boasted. Here, the German families wrote to relatives still living in Germany expressing that Pennsylvania was free of all the hardship they had faced in Germany. They wrote about the cheap and plentiful supply of farmland and about the booming businesses.
The German immigrants were responsible for many cultural and artist contributions towards the American culture. They were the first to introduce Sauerkraut, tubas, and beer to the Americans which quickly became popular phenomenons. Artistically the Germans contributed Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze who was responsible for composing action paintings such as Washington Crossing the Delaware River. Another famous German artist is Jeremiah Theus who painted many portraits such as Gabriel Manigault. I selected these two pieces of artwork because they were very popular paintings that generated a large amount of talk and profit. Today they are still admired by many in museums. They are exceptionally famous paintings and are considered the greatest piece of artwork ever done by the artist.
There are a few themes that are incorporated in these two pieces of artwork that contributed to the overall voice of America. Washington Crossing the Delaware River demonstrates that Germans valued bravery/courage because Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze made it evident that Washington had no fear upon his face when he sailed into battle. This was also obvious because of the posture Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze painted for Washington. The main theme in Jeremiah Theus’s portraits is self beauty because he would dramatize every detail upon one’s face. It is clear that his paintings took many hours to complete by the precision he incorporated in his portrait’s expression. In American culture one is proud about their appearance and accomplishment. This is apparent by the numerous amounts of beauty products that exist today and the vast population of biographies bragging one’s success. Germans used artwork to express the achievements and beauties of individuals. These two artworks clearly demonstrate those themes that German contributed towards American culture and its voice.
Work Cited:
Hutchison, Patti. "Why Did the Germans Come to America?" EdHelper.com - Math, Reading Comprehension, Themes, Lesson Plans, and Printable Worksheets. Web. 09 Jan. 2011. .
"The Germans Come to North America." Anabaptist Mennonites | Historic Christian Faith and Practice. Web. 09 Jan. 2011.
German Immigrants: Artwork and History
By Sydney Metzger
Washington Crossing the Delaware By: Emanuel Leutze
The themes found in this piece of artwork that are common in American art are courage, endurance, strength, determination and hardwork. The way the men are rowing the boat across the icy river demonstrates determination, strength, and hard work. The way Washington is standing up in the boat demonstrates the themes of courage and endurance. These themes are common in American art beacause all of them are words that are commonly associated with America. Artists like to portray America with these positive themes because they are words that describe what this nationw as founded on. That also contributes to why the themes are such an important part of the overall American voice. America strives to be thought of as courageous, strong, determined, and hardworking. This piece embodies all those in a single moment, which is why its such an iconic image among American artwork. The American voice is supposed to contain all the things that make up and represent America. These themes are obviously a huge part of the American voice because of how important they are to all of Americans and how much of a base they provided for the formation of Amerca.
Original Sketch of Santa Claus and An Unnamed Political CartoonBy Thomas NastThomas Nast's most famous work is a sketch of Santa Claus that has become the common American image for this iconic Christmas figure. However, Nast's other works of political cartoons hold much more of what makes up the American voice. Politcal cartoons generally have a theme of satire, or making fun of the government. Nast's were no different. The theme of satire is an important part of the American voice because its so common is all American works. Not only is it found in cartoons, but satire is a common theme to be found in newspapers, radio stations, books, and television shows. Satire is prevelant in Ameican works and therefore is a huge part of the Ameican voice.
Commonly Asked Questions about German Immigrants:
Q:When did they come to America?
A: The three major crests were between 1853-1855, 1866-1869, and 1881-1883. However, the first immigrant group from Germany to come to American came in 1683 when Francis Pastorious led a group from Krefeld to Pennsylvania. William Penn helped them settled and this was the group that became known as "The Pennsylvania Dutch".
Q: Why did the German Immigrants come to America?
A: There were multiple reasons for the immigration of Germans. The first is agricultural reasons. Land in Germany was expensive and hard to maintain. The cheap and easy to farm land was appealing to them because it promised a more profitable life then the one they had in Germany. Secondly, immigrants wanted to come to America for religious freedom. Towns such as Harmony, PA and Amana, Iowa were founded by groups of German immigrants wishing to form religious and social utopias. There was also a group of Luthern immigrants who came because they were expelled from Salzburg for not being Catholic. The third reason was war. During the Revolutionary War, Germany rented its soldiers to Great Britian to help them fight. When the war ended approximently six thousand of the German soldiers decided to stay in the United States. Finally, Germans emigrated from Europe because America promised a better life. In 1829 a German lawyer named Gottfried Duden published a report that praised America greatly. It influenced a wave of 40,000 immigrants, many of whom were scholars and aristocrats. In 1831 a group of women told German poet Heinrich Heine, that "they were fleeing [to America because of] arrogant authorities, priviledged nobles, and high taxes."
Q: What did the German immigrants encounter when they reached America
A: When the German people reached America they encountered things much different then what they expected. German farmers found it difficult to obtain land in America and were forced to settle in the cities instead. Most German immigrants ended up working as lawyers, educators, and journalists. Some immigrants who were unable to pay for their passage came over as "redemptioners." Upon their arrival, they were auctioned off as slaves and their new masters paid for their passage. After 7 years they were free. However, if someone died on the journey to the America, a family member was responsible for serving their years as a slave as well. People in America could pay for the passage of their family members upon their arrival. However, this process resulted in a lot of immigrants being sold into slavery unfairly. The captains of the ships would pull into different ports then they were supposed to because they could make more money in certain ports. When they pulled into a different port though, those with family waiting to pay were left without a way to pay their passage. They were sold into slavery even though they had intended to pay. After a while, Duden was given the name, "the lying dog" because people thought he had lied about America being a "Utopia".
German Immigrants By: Emily Polak
Why did they immigrate to America? The Germans emigrated from Europe for reasons such as politics, religion, wanting better economic opportunities, and the increase of taxation. The political issue with Europe was very diverse. An Austrian emperor mainly ruled Germany. There were also more than 300 separate principalities which were mainly controlled by kings, dukes, counts, margraves, electors, and ecclesiastical princes. These different leaders with different powers were a main reason why many Germans chose to leave Europe. The political differences were too much for them to understand and agree with. They wanted to escape to America where they had more freedoms than in Europe. The religious issue through Europe was just like the political issue. Northern Germans were mainly Lutherans and southern Germans remained Roman Catholic from before the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. There were also Protestant areas scattered through all of Germany. Since there were many restrictions in the Lutheran and Catholic churches, some emigrated in order to escape them. Along with both of these reasons, they wanted to have better economic opportunities. There was also an increase in taxation in Germany. This put a financial strain on individuals and their lives. They believed that America would be much better for them. People were also unable to have land because with the population increase, there wasn’t much land, which made it more expensive.
What happened when they got here? When they reached America, there were many people who had abundant lives. German became farmers, writers, artists, politicians, businessmen, and much more. Unfortunately, the conditions weren’t very good. There were overcrowded ships and many people had typhus fever and died. Once they reached America, they were greeted with more freedom than they could imagine. They became large parts of the culture of America, and contributed greatly.
George Washington Crossing the Delaware
By Emanuel Leutze
One of the two pieces of art that I chose is by Emanuel Leutze. He is the artist that painted the famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River in 1850. This painting is rightfully called Washington Crossing the Delaware. Leutze was born in Württemberg, Germany and immigrated to America. He was a very strong supporter of the European Revolution in 1848. In order to encourage Europe’s liberal reformers, he painted this picture of Washington to inspire them with the American Revolution. I chose this painting because I think that it really shows how Germans became assimilated into American culture and life. Although Leutze wasn’t born an American, he depicted America’s first president in a positive and strong way. After researching him, these ideas were reinforced after reading that Leutze painted this to encourage Europeans to have more American ways.
The Original Sketch of Santa Claus By Thomas Nast
This piece of art is the original illustration and sketch of Santa Claus by Thomas Nast. Nast was born in Landau, Germany, and immigrated to America. I chose this piece because it shows the links and bonds between America and German culture. The tradition of Christmas trees was also influenced by German culture. Nast brought a face and picture to a beloved character that all Americans recognize. The Germans (especially Nast) brought his culture from Germany into America and created a picture of a character that everyone in the world knows.
What themes do these two pieces of art portray? The themes in these two pieces of art are assimilation and cultural ties. Assimilation is a theme in both pieces of art, because they both have an American aspect that was involved. Although the artists are from Germany, they brought their talents to America where they were able to share them in two meaningful ways culturally. The cultural ties are a theme, because although these two artists are still in America, they still have their German roots. Although it is not shown physically in the painting, Leutze is German and wanted to bring his culture to America. He may not have depicted it, but just the fact that he is a German immigrant and painted this very historical picture for America is significant. Nast also brought the traditions from Germany to America and put a face to the famous name of Santa.
How do these themes correspond with the themes in American art and American Immingrant Art in general? Overall, both of these artists were able to combine both of their cultures to make art that ties them both together. These themes are also popular in the entire American voice in art. When defining the American voice in art and media, the themes of assimilation and cultural ties are prominent. No matter if the artist is an immigrant or an ancestor of an immigrant, there are still incorporations of their culture in their art. It is very important for American art to be accessible to people of all different cultures and heritages.
German American Art and History
By: Casey Brennan
Herman Herzog - Mountain Landscape and Waterfall 1879
Mountain landscape waterfall 1879
By: Herman Horzeg
IMMORTALITY In sleeping Beauty's castle the clock strikes one hundred years and the girl in the tower returns to the world. So do the servants in the kitchen, who don't even rub their eyes. The cook's right hand, lifted an exact century ago, completes its downward arc to the kitchen boy's left ear; the boy's tensed vocal cords finally let go the trapped, enduring whimper, and the fly, arrested mid-plunge above the strawberry pie fulfills its abiding mission and dives into the sweet, red glaze.
As a child I had a book with a picture of that scene. I was too young to notice how fear persists, and how the anger that causes fear persists, that its trajectory can't be changed or broken, only interrupted. My attention was on the fly: that this slight body with its transparent wings and life-span of one human day still craved its particular share of sweetness, a century later.
Immortality By: Lisel Mueller
Casey Brennan Period 9 Riotto/Fletcher/McGrath The German people are one of the oldest ethnic groups to have immigrated to the United States. The first German immigrants arrived in the mid 1640s in the aftermath of the 30 years war in Europe which had torn an already disunited Germany, which was made up of over 300 countries, more torn between Protestants and Catholics. These first settlers fled the violence and religious upheaval and journeyed to America. These first immigrants from the Rhine valley were in particular attracted to the Pennsylvania region for its liberal policies; these groups included Mennonites, Amish, Dunkers, and German Baptists. They went on to form one of the earliest towns in 1648 affectionately named Germantown after the land they called home. The tide of immigrants remained steady until a major boom came for German immigration to America from 1929-1945. The majority of Germans in America had been assimilated by the 1930s but they still felt a sense of deep pride in the old Fatherland and their new home. They had risen to become many white collared workers that lived high end jobs. With the rise of the Nazis in Germany under Adolf Hitler many Germans fled to America for safety. They feared that they, as the Japanese Americans had been, they would be thrown into internment camps. They were viewed with suspicion especially as Hitler called for their support in the war against the allies, even though, contrary to popular belief and bias most of the German Americans did not support the Nazis at all. They wanted the US to come out triumphant, and didn’t face much intolerance throughout the war. However after the war many immigrants would be forced to come as POWs and would choose to stay in the US with their families instead. But the war had caused animosity against the German people as anyone would assume them to be Nazis or only think of the Nazis. The German immigrants coming to America would be forced to hide their national pride for fear of retribution and still to this day they must do so for acts in the past many of them even then did not support. The German immigrants to this country have done well to assimilate to American life and culture. Many German immigrants expressed their feelings through art of various forms including many painters such as John Lewis Krimmel. He came to the US following his brother to pursue his dream of art and painting and what a better place to do it than a new scene. He would become America’s first genre painters and became a renound artist at the time. One of his works titled Parade of the Victuallers became a very well known peace. It portrayed America or a least Philadelphia, where Krimmel lived, as a beautiful and resplendent area that had lavish parades to show its power and wealth. The streets are clean along with the people and the buildings, as well as the sky as being clear and shining and everything in the painting being very properly dressed and fitted. However not only artists were making headway in the New World, poets were also making a living there as well. One such poet was a woman named Lisel Mueller. She and her family had fled through Europe to flea Nazi persecution and eventually found their way to the US. The poetry she created would win her a Pulitzer Prize. It was about the futility of immortality and its effects on life that she had from experience when she and her family had been on the run. It was a very popular piece that felt very personal and easy to comprehend which attracted America readers and increased its popularity. Both these artists helped to recognize the German spirit that had become a part of the newly forming American voice. Both of the pieces of art presented carry very powerful themes along with them as they became public. The Parade of the Victuallers by John Lewis Krimmel displayed power and wealth of the American people and country by showing a clean and resplendent environment that was clean and well as well dressed and overall happy. It also gives America a feel of beauty to anyone that regards this work of art from its tall clean building the clear blue sky and its well dressed people celebrating happily. For Lisel Mueller’s Immortality it feeds on the American peoples want for what they cant attain, and it spread a message that they weren’t invincible but they could live their mortal lives in happiness without that search, it gave America and the American people a softer look from an outside perspective that they were a strong giant but also a kind and gentle mother. We can together credit those foreign German immigrants for some of our most memorable pieces of artwork that helped bring pride, unity and a sense of understanding to the American people and for them to give their respect for one of their oldest compatriots the German people.
German American Artwork
The Immigrants of Germany
by Kevin Ingram
Title: Washington Crossing The Delaware River
Artist: Emanuel Leutze
Title: Gabriel Manigault 1757
Artist:Jeremiah Theus
German Immigration Art
During the 1600s to the 1700s, many Germans were looking for a new country to live where they could escape the wars, famines, high unemployment, and oppression that was present in Germany. Along with the continuous wars, many Germans were unhappy with their country because the government forced the catholic religion upon its citizens. Therefore one would be penalized if they practiced any other religion or if they were a protestant. As a result some German families immigrated to the colony of Pennsylvania where freedom of religion was boasted. Here, the German families wrote to relatives still living in Germany expressing that Pennsylvania was free of all the hardship they had faced in Germany. They wrote about the cheap and plentiful supply of farmland and about the booming businesses.
The German immigrants were responsible for many cultural and artist contributions towards the American culture. They were the first to introduce Sauerkraut, tubas, and beer to the Americans which quickly became popular phenomenons. Artistically the Germans contributed Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze who was responsible for composing action paintings such as Washington Crossing the Delaware River. Another famous German artist is Jeremiah Theus who painted many portraits such as Gabriel Manigault. I selected these two pieces of artwork because they were very popular paintings that generated a large amount of talk and profit. Today they are still admired by many in museums. They are exceptionally famous paintings and are considered the greatest piece of artwork ever done by the artist.
There are a few themes that are incorporated in these two pieces of artwork that contributed to the overall voice of America. Washington Crossing the Delaware River demonstrates that Germans valued bravery/courage because Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze made it evident that Washington had no fear upon his face when he sailed into battle. This was also obvious because of the posture Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze painted for Washington. The main theme in Jeremiah Theus’s portraits is self beauty because he would dramatize every detail upon one’s face. It is clear that his paintings took many hours to complete by the precision he incorporated in his portrait’s expression. In American culture one is proud about their appearance and accomplishment. This is apparent by the numerous amounts of beauty products that exist today and the vast population of biographies bragging one’s success. Germans used artwork to express the achievements and beauties of individuals. These two artworks clearly demonstrate those themes that German contributed towards American culture and its voice.
Work Cited:
Hutchison, Patti. "Why Did the Germans Come to America?" EdHelper.com - Math, Reading Comprehension, Themes, Lesson Plans, and Printable Worksheets. Web. 09 Jan. 2011. .
"The Germans Come to North America." Anabaptist Mennonites | Historic Christian Faith and Practice. Web. 09 Jan. 2011.
German Immigrants:
Artwork and History
By Sydney Metzger
Washington Crossing the Delaware By: Emanuel Leutze
The themes found in this piece of artwork that are common in American art are courage, endurance, strength, determination and hardwork. The way the men are rowing the boat across the icy river demonstrates determination, strength, and hard work. The way Washington is standing up in the boat demonstrates the themes of courage and endurance. These themes are common in American art beacause all of them are words that are commonly associated with America. Artists like to portray America with these positive themes because they are words that describe what this nationw as founded on. That also contributes to why the themes are such an important part of the overall American voice. America strives to be thought of as courageous, strong, determined, and hardworking. This piece embodies all those in a single moment, which is why its such an iconic image among American artwork. The American voice is supposed to contain all the things that make up and represent America. These themes are obviously a huge part of the American voice because of how important they are to all of Americans and how much of a base they provided for the formation of Amerca.
Original Sketch of Santa Claus and An Unnamed Political CartoonBy Thomas NastThomas Nast's most famous work is a sketch of Santa Claus that has become the common American image for this iconic Christmas figure. However, Nast's other works of political cartoons hold much more of what makes up the American voice. Politcal cartoons generally have a theme of satire, or making fun of the government. Nast's were no different. The theme of satire is an important part of the American voice because its so common is all American works. Not only is it found in cartoons, but satire is a common theme to be found in newspapers, radio stations, books, and television shows. Satire is prevelant in Ameican works and therefore is a huge part of the Ameican voice.
Commonly Asked Questions about German Immigrants:
Q:When did they come to America?A: The three major crests were between 1853-1855, 1866-1869, and 1881-1883. However, the first immigrant group from Germany to come to American came in 1683 when Francis Pastorious led a group from Krefeld to Pennsylvania. William Penn helped them settled and this was the group that became known as "The Pennsylvania Dutch".
Q: Why did the German Immigrants come to America?
A: There were multiple reasons for the immigration of Germans. The first is agricultural reasons. Land in Germany was expensive and hard to maintain. The cheap and easy to farm land was appealing to them because it promised a more profitable life then the one they had in Germany. Secondly, immigrants wanted to come to America for religious freedom. Towns such as Harmony, PA and Amana, Iowa were founded by groups of German immigrants wishing to form religious and social utopias. There was also a group of Luthern immigrants who came because they were expelled from Salzburg for not being Catholic. The third reason was war. During the Revolutionary War, Germany rented its soldiers to Great Britian to help them fight. When the war ended approximently six thousand of the German soldiers decided to stay in the United States. Finally, Germans emigrated from Europe because America promised a better life. In 1829 a German lawyer named Gottfried Duden published a report that praised America greatly. It influenced a wave of 40,000 immigrants, many of whom were scholars and aristocrats. In 1831 a group of women told German poet Heinrich Heine, that "they were fleeing [to America because of] arrogant authorities, priviledged nobles, and high taxes."
Q: What did the German immigrants encounter when they reached America
A: When the German people reached America they encountered things much different then what they expected. German farmers found it difficult to obtain land in America and were forced to settle in the cities instead. Most German immigrants ended up working as lawyers, educators, and journalists. Some immigrants who were unable to pay for their passage came over as "redemptioners." Upon their arrival, they were auctioned off as slaves and their new masters paid for their passage. After 7 years they were free. However, if someone died on the journey to the America, a family member was responsible for serving their years as a slave as well. People in America could pay for the passage of their family members upon their arrival. However, this process resulted in a lot of immigrants being sold into slavery unfairly. The captains of the ships would pull into different ports then they were supposed to because they could make more money in certain ports. When they pulled into a different port though, those with family waiting to pay were left without a way to pay their passage. They were sold into slavery even though they had intended to pay. After a while, Duden was given the name, "the lying dog" because people thought he had lied about America being a "Utopia".
German Immigrants
By: Emily Polak
Why did they immigrate to America?
The Germans emigrated from Europe for reasons such as politics, religion, wanting better economic opportunities, and the increase of taxation. The political issue with Europe was very diverse. An Austrian emperor mainly ruled Germany. There were also more than 300 separate principalities which were mainly controlled by kings, dukes, counts, margraves, electors, and ecclesiastical princes. These different leaders with different powers were a main reason why many Germans chose to leave Europe. The political differences were too much for them to understand and agree with. They wanted to escape to America where they had more freedoms than in Europe. The religious issue through Europe was just like the political issue. Northern Germans were mainly Lutherans and southern Germans remained Roman Catholic from before the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. There were also Protestant areas scattered through all of Germany. Since there were many restrictions in the Lutheran and Catholic churches, some emigrated in order to escape them. Along with both of these reasons, they wanted to have better economic opportunities. There was also an increase in taxation in Germany. This put a financial strain on individuals and their lives. They believed that America would be much better for them. People were also unable to have land because with the population increase, there wasn’t much land, which made it more expensive.
What happened when they got here?
When they reached America, there were many people who had abundant lives. German became farmers, writers, artists, politicians, businessmen, and much more. Unfortunately, the conditions weren’t very good. There were overcrowded ships and many people had typhus fever and died. Once they reached America, they were greeted with more freedom than they could imagine. They became large parts of the culture of America, and contributed greatly.
George Washington Crossing the Delaware
By Emanuel Leutze
One of the two pieces of art that I chose is by Emanuel Leutze. He is the artist that painted the famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River in 1850. This painting is rightfully called Washington Crossing the Delaware. Leutze was born in Württemberg, Germany and immigrated to America. He was a very strong supporter of the European Revolution in 1848. In order to encourage Europe’s liberal reformers, he painted this picture of Washington to inspire them with the American Revolution. I chose this painting because I think that it really shows how Germans became assimilated into American culture and life. Although Leutze wasn’t born an American, he depicted America’s first president in a positive and strong way. After researching him, these ideas were reinforced after reading that Leutze painted this to encourage Europeans to have more American ways.
By Thomas Nast
This piece of art is the original illustration and sketch of Santa Claus by Thomas Nast. Nast was born in Landau, Germany, and immigrated to America. I chose this piece because it shows the links and bonds between America and German culture. The tradition of Christmas trees was also influenced by German culture. Nast brought a face and picture to a beloved character that all Americans recognize. The Germans (especially Nast) brought his culture from Germany into America and created a picture of a character that everyone in the world knows.
What themes do these two pieces of art portray?
The themes in these two pieces of art are assimilation and cultural ties. Assimilation is a theme in both pieces of art, because they both have an American aspect that was involved. Although the artists are from Germany, they brought their talents to America where they were able to share them in two meaningful ways culturally. The cultural ties are a theme, because although these two artists are still in America, they still have their German roots. Although it is not shown physically in the painting, Leutze is German and wanted to bring his culture to America. He may not have depicted it, but just the fact that he is a German immigrant and painted this very historical picture for America is significant. Nast also brought the traditions from Germany to America and put a face to the famous name of Santa.
How do these themes correspond with the themes in American art and American Immingrant Art in general?
Overall, both of these artists were able to combine both of their cultures to make art that ties them both together. These themes are also popular in the entire American voice in art. When defining the American voice in art and media, the themes of assimilation and cultural ties are prominent. No matter if the artist is an immigrant or an ancestor of an immigrant, there are still incorporations of their culture in their art. It is very important for American art to be accessible to people of all different cultures and heritages.
German American Art and History
By: Casey Brennan
Mountain landscape waterfall 1879
By: Herman Horzeg
IMMORTALITY
In sleeping Beauty's castle
the clock strikes one hundred years
and the girl in the tower returns to the world.
So do the servants in the kitchen,
who don't even rub their eyes.
The cook's right hand, lifted
an exact century ago,
completes its downward arc
to the kitchen boy's left ear;
the boy's tensed vocal cords
finally let go
the trapped, enduring whimper,
and the fly, arrested mid-plunge
above the strawberry pie
fulfills its abiding mission
and dives into the sweet, red glaze.
As a child I had a book
with a picture of that scene.
I was too young to notice
how fear persists, and how
the anger that causes fear persists,
that its trajectory can't be changed
or broken, only interrupted.
My attention was on the fly:
that this slight body
with its transparent wings
and life-span of one human day
still craved its particular share
of sweetness, a century later.
Immortality
By: Lisel Mueller
Casey Brennan
Period 9
Riotto/Fletcher/McGrath
The German people are one of the oldest ethnic groups to have immigrated to the United States. The first German immigrants arrived in the mid 1640s in the aftermath of the 30 years war in Europe which had torn an already disunited Germany, which was made up of over 300 countries, more torn between Protestants and Catholics. These first settlers fled the violence and religious upheaval and journeyed to America. These first immigrants from the Rhine valley were in particular attracted to the Pennsylvania region for its liberal policies; these groups included Mennonites, Amish, Dunkers, and German Baptists. They went on to form one of the earliest towns in 1648 affectionately named Germantown after the land they called home. The tide of immigrants remained steady until a major boom came for German immigration to America from 1929-1945. The majority of Germans in America had been assimilated by the 1930s but they still felt a sense of deep pride in the old Fatherland and their new home. They had risen to become many white collared workers that lived high end jobs. With the rise of the Nazis in Germany under Adolf Hitler many Germans fled to America for safety. They feared that they, as the Japanese Americans had been, they would be thrown into internment camps. They were viewed with suspicion especially as Hitler called for their support in the war against the allies, even though, contrary to popular belief and bias most of the German Americans did not support the Nazis at all. They wanted the US to come out triumphant, and didn’t face much intolerance throughout the war. However after the war many immigrants would be forced to come as POWs and would choose to stay in the US with their families instead. But the war had caused animosity against the German people as anyone would assume them to be Nazis or only think of the Nazis. The German immigrants coming to America would be forced to hide their national pride for fear of retribution and still to this day they must do so for acts in the past many of them even then did not support. The German immigrants to this country have done well to assimilate to American life and culture.
Many German immigrants expressed their feelings through art of various forms including many painters such as John Lewis Krimmel. He came to the US following his brother to pursue his dream of art and painting and what a better place to do it than a new scene. He would become America’s first genre painters and became a renound artist at the time. One of his works titled Parade of the Victuallers became a very well known peace. It portrayed America or a least Philadelphia, where Krimmel lived, as a beautiful and resplendent area that had lavish parades to show its power and wealth. The streets are clean along with the people and the buildings, as well as the sky as being clear and shining and everything in the painting being very properly dressed and fitted. However not only artists were making headway in the New World, poets were also making a living there as well. One such poet was a woman named Lisel Mueller. She and her family had fled through Europe to flea Nazi persecution and eventually found their way to the US. The poetry she created would win her a Pulitzer Prize. It was about the futility of immortality and its effects on life that she had from experience when she and her family had been on the run. It was a very popular piece that felt very personal and easy to comprehend which attracted America readers and increased its popularity. Both these artists helped to recognize the German spirit that had become a part of the newly forming American voice.
Both of the pieces of art presented carry very powerful themes along with them as they became public. The Parade of the Victuallers by John Lewis Krimmel displayed power and wealth of the American people and country by showing a clean and resplendent environment that was clean and well as well dressed and overall happy. It also gives America a feel of beauty to anyone that regards this work of art from its tall clean building the clear blue sky and its well dressed people celebrating happily. For Lisel Mueller’s Immortality it feeds on the American peoples want for what they cant attain, and it spread a message that they weren’t invincible but they could live their mortal lives in happiness without that search, it gave America and the American people a softer look from an outside perspective that they were a strong giant but also a kind and gentle mother. We can together credit those foreign German immigrants for some of our most memorable pieces of artwork that helped bring pride, unity and a sense of understanding to the American people and for them to give their respect for one of their oldest compatriots the German people.